Boston soccer fans will undoubtedly wonder what local implications this news carries. In short, it means games will potentially be played locally (as was the case when the U.S. hosted in 1994). If that happens, Gillette Stadium will be the regional venue.

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Currently, Gillette (by extension of Boston) is on the list of 23 candidate host cities. The United States carries 17 of the listed cities, with the other six belonging to Canada and Mexico. Eventually, 16 will be selected from the group.

Of the U.S. cities, only 10 will be selected. The list is expected to be finalized by 2021.

In its bid proposal to FIFA, United 2026 listed Wellesley College, the Nobles and Greenough School, Harvard University, and the Revolution’s practice field as viable training facilities for international teams staying in the Boston area.

This issue would likely have no effect on the bid to be included among World Cup cities. The smallest allowed capacity for a World Cup stadium according to FIFA regulations is 40,000. That’s a larger total than any hypothetical Revs venue.

In a historical sense, Gillette has previously proven to be a capable host. In 2016, the stadium hosted three games of the Copa América Centenario. More than 59,000 people showed up to watch Lionel Messi’s Argentina dominate Venezuela 4-1 in a quarterfinal matchup.

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And in 2003, the stadium hosted three Women’s World Cup games, including a 1-0 U.S. quarterfinal win over Norway. Aside from that, Gillette has hosted games for the CONCACAF Gold Cup on five occasions, as well as other U.S. men’s and women’s qualifiers.